Cybersecurity

Nebraska, FBI Partner to Raise Awareness of Agriculture Threats

A two-day event seeks to highlight rising threats in the sector, including bioterrorism or biowarfare.

  • By Zach Wendling, Nebraska Examiner

Cybersecurity Standards Gain Ground in Counties

More counties are embracing voluntary cybersecurity frameworks to evaluate their risk and better protect their assets, a recent report shows.

  • By Chris Teale

A Defense Against Phishing Attacks, One Simulated Email at a Time

With a platform that trains staff not to click on links in seemingly relevant emails, San Francisco cut the click rate on test emails by 50% in the first 18 months.

  • By Stephanie Kanowitz

State Looks to Better Assess Vendor Security

Michigan wants a “security rating snapshot” of contractors as well as a public portal that details their financial risk.

  • By Chris Teale

Public Sector Weighs Procurement Outsourcing

Facing a shrinking workforce and a largely paper-based procurement processes, more state and local agencies are pushing routine purchasing tasks to third parties.

  • By Stephanie Kanowitz

Biden Will Veto Republican-Led Clawback of Unemployment Funding

The Office of Management and Budget says that the president would veto a Republican proposal to rescind American Rescue Plan Act funding for unemployment if passed by Congress.

  • By Natalie Alms

EVs Rev Up Cybersecurity Challenges

Without a meaningful way to secure and insure the electric vehicle infrastructure, EV owners, charging stations and fleet managers are vulnerable to hackers.

  • By Chris Teale

State Cyber Workforce Challenges Reaching ‘Crisis Levels’

By marketing themselves better and adapting to remote work, states can attract and retain more cybersecurity workers, a new report suggests.

  • By Chris Teale

ChatGPT Could Make Phishing More Sophisticated

The latest version’s greater “steerability” allows users to vary the style and tone of generated text to make scams even harder to detect.

  • By Chris Teale

Report: Increased Remote Work for Many Governments Also Raises Cyber Risks

Roughly one-third of government employees believe “their actions don’t matter when it comes to security,” according to a new survey.

  • By Edward Graham

National Cyber Strategy ‘Promising’ for State, Local Governments

While some groups applauded the Biden administration’s pledge to prioritize cybersecurity and help small governments fight attacks, others said more technical assistance and federal funding is needed.

  • By Chris Teale

White House Pitches $1.6B in Anti-fraud Funding

The anti-fraud proposal includes funds to modernize state governments’ benefits systems, identity verification and data analytics capabilities.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson
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Look for Fraudsters to Apply COVID-era Tricks to New Programs

The pandemic laid bare state and local governments’ vulnerability to fraud, and agencies must lean into data-sharing technology to keep up defenses, an expert advises.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

Cyber Training Expands to Local Leaders

The National Cybersecurity Center will offer the training every two years, and push local governments to take advantage of free resources and information-sharing.

  • By Chris Teale

Cyberattack Turns Up the Heat on Common Security Problems

The ransomware attack that crippled a New York county again demonstrated the need for investment, regular updates and an enterprisewide approach to security.

  • By Chris Teale

Governors' TikTok Bans Make Sense, Cybersecurity Experts Say

Republican governor after Republican governor has recently announced a TikTok ban for state employees. There are more than 100 million TikTok users in the U.S.

  • By Jenni Bergal, Stateline

How States Can Fill the Tech Workforce Gap

A private sector tech slowdown could present a recruiting opportunity for governments, especially if they appeal to younger employees looking for meaningful and consequential work.

  • By Chris Teale

Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Ban TikTok in US

TikTok poses a national security threat, according to lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle.

  • By Frank Konkel

Why Neighboring States and Localities Should Collaborate on Cybersecurity

COMMENTARY | With $1 billion in federal grants on the way, it's a prime moment for governments to look at new ways to partner on cyber issues, including by reaching across state lines.

  • By Jim Richberg

Local Governments Make Common Cyber Mistakes, Auditor Finds

A Missouri state auditor identified key problem areas and solutions that local governments must address to protect against cyber threats.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

A Governor Imposes a TikTok Ban for State Government

The move comes as the app faces increased scrutiny in the U.S. over its ties to the Chinese government.

  • By Molly Bolan